In Brief: Feb. 28, 2000

CLEAN YOUR PLATE Have you ever battled with your kids to eat till the plate is empty? A study in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association suggests you back away from this food fight, which may contribute to overeating among children. When served bigger than usual portions of macaroni and cheese, three-year-olds ate until they felt full. But five-year-olds had already learned to ignore their bodies' signals that they had had enough to eat, and instead ate more when they were served more.

STAYING POWER A study from a Dallas hospital, published in the American Journal of Nursing, has a...